Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Judge Clears Way For Cheaper Version Of J&J’s Blockbuster Arthritis Drug

The pharmaceutical company will appeal the decision to invalidate its patent on its rheumatoid arthritis medication, Remicade, but Pfizer plans to launch its competing version in the next few months.

The Associated Press:
Judge Invalidates Patent For Johnson & Johnson Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug
A cheaper version of Johnson & Johnson's top-selling drug, the expensive rheumatoid arthritis treatment Remicade, could be available in the United States two years early after a federal judge ruled that a key patent on the drug is invalid. Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it planned to appeal a summary judgment issued by the District of Massachusetts federal court in a high-stakes patent fight with rival drugmaker Pfizer Inc. The appeal process could take a year or more, Johnson & Johnson said. (Johnson, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal:
Court Says Pfizer’s Biosimilar Of J&J’s Remicade Doesn’t Infringe Patent
Pfizer Inc.’s lower-priced version of Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster autoimmune disease drug Remicade doesn’t infringe a patent, a federal court ruled on Wednesday, potentially clearing the way for the drug’s sale in October. J&J said it would appeal the decision and affirmed its sales projections. Remicade, first approved for sale in the U.S. in 1998, is J&J’s largest product by sales, accounting for $6.56 billion in sales last year, including $4.5 billion in the U.S. The drug’s two lead indications are inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis and associated indications. (Armental, 8/17)

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